Hey, What Are Friends For?
by africana
Summary: "You don't know it yet, but you're in love with Sakura—" "I'm n—"  "And it's our duty as your friends to help you in your romantic endeavors."
1. Formation

africana - school = lots of free time. africana + lots of free time = more stories/updates!

Hey all. This is a procrastination story. I work on it instead of doing what I'm supposed to be doing i.e, homework, essays, writing other stories. Which means I can't predict when the next chapter will be out. =(

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><p>"I'll be in and out, I promise. Ten minutes—tops."<p>

His eyes said everything his mouth would not; the irritated complaints, the angry expletives, the blatant refusal. She clasped her hands together, widening her eyes to seem more innocent, as if this was her first offense. His narrowed. Hers glistened. With a grumbled sigh of defeat, he situated himself into her sofa, arms folded in wait.

Her lips spread into a sheepish smile, her eyes apologetic. "Sorry, sorry! I know you hate being late. Sorry." Creeping steadily towards the stairs, she continued her hasty apology, her hands clamped together. She uttered one last plea of penitence before charging up the stairs, two at a time.

The sound of running water filtered through the walls. He sighed again, settling deeper into the cushions of the couch. Sometime during her education, Sakura had failed to learn the concept of time. It wasn't something so hard to comprehend; minutes and hours and such. But somewhere in the treacherous brambles of Sakura's mind, she understood a time interval of 'ten minutes' to equate to half an hour, sometimes more. He listened to her scattered humming over the pattering of the water. He could never understand it. But he put up with it because she was his friend—his closest, even more than Naruto.

Considering how their friendship started, he found it quite astonishing that they were as close as they were. After he had voluntarily returned to the village and served his one year of imprisonment, Sakura had uncharacteristically regarded him with an air of coldness for weeks; communicating—when necessary—with short, brusque sentences or blatantly ignoring him altogether. Naruto had kept up the angry charade for only a day: once he had gotten the opportunity to sock him in the jaw, their relationship had went back to normal. Thoroughly irritated with Sakura's behavior, he had approached her and suggested that if she were to punch him, she too, like Naruto, would be cured of her anger. She didn't hesitate. And the treatment didn't stop. In the end, it turned out all Sakura had wanted was an oral apology. The punch, she said, was just too irresistible to pass up.

Absently rubbing his jaw, he glared as the minute hand on the clock completed another revolution. It wasn't like he was in a hurry to leave; he just hated being late. He and Sakura were supposed to meet everyone at Ichiraku before heading off to the _carnival_. A twenty one year old man, going to a carnival. Of course it wasn't by choice—he was entirely opposed to attending any social gathering that garnered the attendance of either children or Naruto. He couldn't stand being surrounded by intolerable whining, unbearable excitement and unnecessarily loud laughter.

And the children were rather irritating as well.

But Sakura, with her need for social interaction, had thought it would be "fun", especially if everybody—meaning those nine people Sakura said were his "friends"—came. His avid protests had fallen on deaf ears, her mind already made up. "It'll be good for you Sasuke; you could use the social interaction. Besides, do you really want to be shut up in your house when there's a _carnival_ in town?"

He did, and he had told her as much. She was unrelenting. "Well what you want doesn't matter. _I_ want to go and that's a good enough reason for _you_ to go.'

"That's illogical. Why do _I _have to come if _you_ are the one who wants to go?"

"Because _I _have had to spend nearly every Saturday night holed up in your dreary cave of a home because _you_ have some sort of phobia of people and never want to go out. I've suffered silently because I didn't want to say anything and put you in a 'mood'. So now _you_ are going to suffer silently and escort me to this carnival like the gentleman you should strive to be." Nodding confidently twice, she turned back to her paperwork.

Slouched on the couch opposite her desk, he had bitten back the next point to argue his case: She didn't _have_ to come to his house every weekend. He had never actually invited her over, and she had never promised to commit to this weekend ritual. But without fail, every Saturday night that she wasn't at the hospital or he wasn't on a mission, she was at his doorstep, holding something to share with him: a movie or carry-out food or a candid picture of him or a violet she had found pressed between the pages of a book.

Even after a year of camaraderie, he wasn't sure what brought her back every Saturday; why she'd rather hold a mostly one sided conversation in his "dreary cave of a house" than meet up with Ino or TenTen, who badgered her nearly every Saturday to go out with them. He had this itching desire to tell her that she didn't _have _to come every weekend—she wasn't obligated to keep him company. But he could never bring himself to say it; mostly in fear that if he did, there would be a resultant domino effect: next he wouldn't see her on Fridays, or Thursday, or Wednesdays and eventually, she wouldn't come back at all.

So he had refrained from saying anything else and mumbled a defiant "Hn", an answer that he and Sakura both recognized as a sound of defeat cloaked in the disguise of anger. She had smiled up at him, as her hand continued in its scribbling across the paper. "Excellent. Pick me up at four."

And here he sat, fifteen minutes past four, waiting impatiently for Sakura to finish draining all of Konoha's water reserves with her never ending shower. And even though he was waiting to go to a _carnival_—he shuddered—and there was nothing preventing him from silently making an escape, he stayed; knowing that it would hurt Sakura if he left. He groaned, leaning his head against the back of the couch, his eyes glaring at the ceiling. When had he become so considerate?

"Hey teme." He lifted his head at Naruto's greeting, glaring as his sickeningly bright orange clad friend slurped noisily on his cup of instant ramen. How could a person be so naturally obnoxious? Just looking at him was irritating. "Naru—"

"Sasuke! How goes it?" Much to his dismay, Kiba, wielding several skewers of dango, stepped through the open doorway and plopped down heavily on the loveseat. Shino and Neji quietly entered and opted to stand against the wall. Chouji could faintly be heard rummaging through the cupboards, the crinkling of bags frequent.

"How did you get in here?"

Naruto inhaled another mouthful of noodles before flashing a cloying smile, as if there was some tidbit of information he was aware of that no one else was. "The question is, Sasuke: how did _you_ get in here without this!" He presented a silver key, dangling from the hoop around his finger.

Blankly, Sasuke stared at the key. "Sakura let me in."

"Oh. Well—" Naruto's face crumpled as he attempted to come up with another clever accusation. "The point is; why do you have a key to Sakura's house?"

He was unmoved. "More importantly, why do _you_ have my key? It was attached to my wallet."

Naruto balked, wondering how he had somehow become the accused rather then the accuser. He turned away from Sasuke's glare, moving towards the olive loveseat perpendicular to the couch. His voice was a mumble. "Well, last week I came over to borrow some money but you were in the shower so I just slipped a few bills out of your wallet since you would've probably lent it to me anyway. And then I saw this key and I knew it wasn't your house key 'cause yours isn't silver and I really wanted to know where this key led to so I borrowed it to… find… out…" His words trickled to a stop as Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Breaking the silence, he cleared his throat.

"Anyway—you haven't answered my question." More noodles disappeared into his mouth.

Disgusted, Sasuke watched as Naruto tipped back the cup, scavenging for the last drops of soup. "Sakura gave it to me in case of emergency."

"Mmhmm. And what kind of emergency would that be referring to? She's feeling lonely one night and needs a little…company?" Kiba quipped as Naruto's eyebrows wiggled suggestively.

Suspicious, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What are you insinuating?"

"Oh, nothing." Naruto's mock innocent expression melted into a devious smile. "Only that you and Sakura are totally secretly dating."

"Or at least having sex." Kiba added to which Naruto heartily nodded.

"Or having sex."

"I also believe that you are concealing a relationship with Sakura." Neji announced.

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it really, Sasuke?" Neji's lips curled into a small scheming smile. "Nearly all of your time is spent together. I have not seen you without Sakura by your side since last October."

He had always taken Neji to be a sensible man; quiet and private—a kindred spirit. But he was becoming less and less tolerable as time passed.

Speaking through a mouthful of dango, Kiba mumbled nearly incoherently, "And not to mention—" he swallowed loudly. "And not to mention, you two are nowhere to be found on Saturday nights. Suspicious? Yes."

"And most importantly: you let her _touch_ you."

It was quiet for a moment as Sasuke processed Naruto's reasoning. "I let her, touch me."

Naruto nodded deeply. "Uh huh. Last week, I saw her squeeze your arm when she was leaving for work."

Sasuke's perplexed expression was beginning to evolve into one of irritation. "How does that prove anything?"

"Anytime I even try to lay a finger on you, I get a punch in the kidney."

"Because I don't want you to touch me."

"But you want Sakura to touch you?"

Aggravated, he had begun to confirm Naruto's question. But as his tongue formed the first syllable of 'yes' his brain caught the trap and clamped his mouth shut with an audible snap. He didn't mind when Sakura grabbed his hand or patted his arm or smoothed his hair, but that didn't mean he necessarily _wanted_ her to. She was just one of those people who liked physical contact. But they had all taken his silence as confirmation and mischievous smiles began rapidly spreading across their faces.

"Congrats man; Sakura's one of the hottest girls in the village." Kiba assured. "There's no reason to hide your _love_."

Before he could snuff out their false assumptions, he heard the kitchen door swing open, followed by the scuffling of several bodies, Ino's loud announcement of her arrival echoing against the walls.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it._

"You said four o'clock Sakura and it's almost half past the hour! You better be—hey, what are you guys doing here?" Sasuke watched in horror as the last of his "friends" filed into the house; Shikamaru trudged slowly across the room, slumping into the recliner opposite the loveseat, Hinata gingerly sitting on the side of the couch that intersected with the loveseat, TenTen plopping down onto the ottoman after roughly shoving Kiba's feet off of it and finally Ino, comfortably situating herself between him and Hinata.

"Sasuke and Sakura were taking too long to show up so we came here to see what was going on." Naruto explained.

"Same." Ino responded, habitually tossing her hair.

"Where's Lee?"

"Training. He said he'll meet us at the carnival." TenTen explained. "That is, if he doesn't pass out from exhaustion before then."

Ino looked around absentmindedly; her eyes pausing as she looked at Sasuke, scrutinizing his tense posture. "What's got you in such a bad mood?"

He wished that by the grace of some higher being, Naruto would lose his ability to speak. Or at least develop a sudden case of severe laryngitis. But much to his disappointment, Naruto flashed him a knowing smile before setting in motion the chaos that was to ensue.

"Sasuke's upset because I found out about his secret affair with Sakura."

_Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, d—_

"I knew it, I knew it, I _knew_ it!" Ino cried jumping up. "I believe you _all_ owe me fifty dollars."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—I never agreed to a bet!"

"I specifically remember you shaking on it, Kiba. You also might have signed a written agreement." Shino murmured quietly.

"Shut up, would you?" Kiba stage-whispered.

"Hey! I found out about it; I shouldn't have to pay anything!" Naruto whined.

"I refuse to relinquish any money to you until the conditions of their relations are confirmed."

"Cut the crap Hyuuga—you lost so pay up!" Ino whipped an accusing finger around the room. "All of you—pay up."

Calmly, TenTen held up her hand. "Wait a second Ino, Neji's right. You bet that they would have sex first; we bet that they'd start dating first. If they're secretly dating, _you_ owe us money." TenTen leaned forward, peering around Ino at him. "Are you?"

He felt his neck burning. His frown deepened. "We're just friends."

Ino sank back into the couch, her eyes expectantly appraising him. "Friends with benefits?"

"Just. Friends."

"Come on, Sasuke: why the continued denial? We all know there's something more going on with you and Sakura." Kiba pressed, attempting to stretch his legs onto the ottoman as TenTen shoved them off.

"Nothing is going on." His voice was nearly a growl.

Smirking, Neji joined the conversation. "If that were truly the case Uchiha, then why are you accompanying her to the carnival? Knowing you, you would never attend willingly."

"That's right. " Kiba mused, grinning. "You always used to bow out of these things."

"So did Neji." Sasuke quickly retorted.

"That was before I became involved with TenTen. As her partner, I'm obliged to attend such trivial 'get-togethers'. What is your excuse?"

They were all staring at him with the taunting little smiles of instigators. He heard Naruto make a sound resembling the cracking of a whip.

"Nothing is going on." He repeated sternly.

"Sasuke, you can try to deny it all you want but the proof is here in my hand." Naruto held up the key, dangling it joyfully in front of the small crowd.

Shikamaru's drooped gaze studied the object. "It's a key, so what?"

Naruto grinned. "Oh, it's not just any key. This is the key to that door." He pointed helpfully. "And it belongs to Sasuke."

The collective gasp of the three females resounded through the room, Ino's hand shooting out to snatch the item from Naruto's grasp. They looked at it in wonder.

"A key to your house: the ultimate item of trust." Ino mused, gazing at the metal. Her eyes flickered to Sasuke's face. "Either you guys are seriously dating or you're amazing in bed."

Hinata jarred Ino's arm, her voice disproving. "Ino!"

"Well he must be! She gets off work, there's Sasuke in the bed; ready for her. Why else would she give him a key?"

"In case there's an emergency?" Hinata suggested.

Skeptically, TenTen regarded Hinata. "Give me a break. What kind of emergency garners the need for a spare key? If her house is on fire, that key won't help anyone."

Naruto nodded approvingly, glad that they were following his train of thought. "So what kind of 'emergency' is the key for?" he prodded.

"A sexual emergency." Kiba followed, a smile spreading across his face.

"Or in the event that Sakura is hospitalized, Sasuke is able to retrieve items from home that she might need." Shino proposed.

TenTen rolled her eyes. "Come on Shino, you can't possibly believe that there's nothing going on between those two."

"But I do. Sasuke does not seem like a man who finds the need to justify himself. If he were to enter into an affair with Sakura, he wouldn't deny your claims so adamantly: he would instead ignore you altogether. So nothing has happened, yet. Although with the obvious attraction between the two, I hardly see it remaining that way."

Ino nodded to her self, thinking. "Hmm, possibly. But I still think they've totally been getting it on." She turned back to Sasuke, taking note of the steadily growing red hue his skin was taking on.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, Sasuke. Lots of people have secret sex escapades. We all knew there was something more to your 'friendship'."

"What are we talking about? Chouji inquired as he entered the room, his arms filled with various snack bags.

"Sasuke and Sakura are having a secret affair." Kiba informed him, placing each of his feet on either side of TenTen. She dug her fingernails into his exposed skin.

Chouji blinked a few times before smiling; a connection being formed in his head. "Is that why I saw you buying flowers a couple of days ago?"

He glared; imagining thousands of roasting skewers puncturing the pudgy ninja's body. Who had granted any of these people the gift of speech?

"Flowers? What flowers?" Ino asked, her gaze flitting from Sasuke's still form to Chouji's crumb covered face.

He grabbed a handful of chips. "Yeah, I saw Sasuke walking out of some shop with these red flowers—" the crunching of the chips cut off his words.

"What kind?" Hinata asked.

"What?"

"What kind! What kind!" Ino repeated impatiently. Chouji continued munching. "I don't know. Does it matter?"

Ino groaned, exasperated. "Of course it does! It matters a lot."

"Tulips."

"What was that Shino?" Hinata asked.

"He bought tulips."

"How do—"

"They're upstairs in the hall. My insects have always been particularly fond of their scent. It excites them."

TenTen broke the ensuing silence. "That's, uh, interesting."

Ino scowled before murmuring to herself. "Tulips, tulips. Yellow represents happiness, red represents—" she turned to Sasuke, her eyes glistening, voice rising several octaves. "Red represents a declaration of love!"

They were squealing. Squealing and 'awing' and spewing all sorts of high pitched girlish coos. Kiba and Naruto's mocking squeals added to the cacophony; their deeper voices horrendously imitating the noises emitting from the women's throats. He couldn't bear this any longer. Each time he spoke, the situation worsened; each minute he didn't speak, the situation worsened. He was at a loss.

"Sakura was feeling sick so I bought her flowers to cheer her up. I only got those because I liked them. That's. All." He creased his eyebrows, hoping his stern glare would emphasize his words.

"Perhaps your subconscious is trying to tell you something Sasuke." Neji offered politely, unfazed by the dark glare he received. "Perhaps you hold a certain affection for Sakura that you are not consciously aware of."

_Rot in hell, rot in hell, rot in hell, rot in hell, rot in hell, rot in hell, rot in hell—_

"No."

"Yes!" Ino gasped grabbing his arm. "It makes perfect sense: you haven't made a move on Sakura because you haven't realized that you're in love with her."

Hinata clasped her hands together, her eyes unfocused in a wistful haze. "Just like that movie with Sakamoto Riichirou…"

"Where he doesn't realize he's in love with Hana until she's diagnosed with cancer…" TenTen continued.

"And then she dies in his arms before he gets the chance to tell her." Ino sighed, her hands clutching her heart. "I cried for hours." Each girl nodded solemnly.

"You know that's just a movie, right?" Shikamaru drawled.

"An ineffective reflection of true relationships." Neji added.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can't relate a real life situation to some chick flick." Kiba mentioned, warily studying the women's gazes that glistened with romantic visions.

Eyes narrowed, Shikamaru caught the way Ino's eyes flashed, her mind already calculating possibilities. "Don't get any ideas Ino…"

"Guys, I just got an idea." She gushed eagerly to the group. "The most perfect idea—" she gasped to herself, as if overwhelmed by the magnitude of the thought. "This might be the most important thing I do in my life."

"What are you planning now?" Chouji asked, his voice weary.

Quickly, Ino turned to Sasuke, grabbing his hand. He looked blankly at her slim fingers entwined with his. And then at her face. And then more pointedly at their hands. And back at her face. He was sure his eyes were accurately portraying the annoyance welling up inside of him. But she only tightened her grip; adding her other hand to the pile.

"Sasuke," she began, her voice heavy with earnest, "I won't let what happened to Sakamoto Riichirou in _A Kiss Before Sunrise_ happen to you."

"Sakura is of perfect health." Neji interjected. Without breaking eye contact with Sasuke, Ino silently held her hand up in response to the interruption.

"You don't know it yet, but you're in love with Sakura—"

"I'm n—"

"And it's our duty as your friends to help you in your romantic endeavors."

She turned to the group, ignoring Sasuke's attempt to disapprove. "We have one goal: to get Sasuke and Sakura together by any means necessary. In order to achieve our goal, I propose that we form a committee; designed to aid Sasuke with his efforts to woo Sakura."

"A committee." Shikamaru repeated as Ino nodded eagerly. "And what exactly are we doing in this committee?"

Rolling her eyes, Ino responded. "We're helping Sasuke with his romantic endeavors! Pay attention, would you?"

"Yeah, but what exactly are we _doing_?" Kiba elaborated. "Are we locking them in a closet or handcuffing them together or what? What kind of help are we talking about here?"

TenTen looked up at him with an expression of incredulity. "You consider those things romantic?" Kiba returned her gaze. "You don't?"

"What if we fill Sakura's living room with Ichiraku coupons and say they were from Sasuke? " Naruto suggested excitedly.

Neji sneered. "And what is that supposed to do?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto explained his reasoning. "Win her over; duh. Girls like it when you fill their houses with things."

"I think it's a good idea." Chouji encouraged.

"Thank you Chouji!"

"No, girls like it when you fill their houses with flowers, and chocolates and teddy bears—not coupons for fatty, calorie-filled food." Ino corrected. "Besides the assistance Sasuke really needs has more to do with communication than anything else. Brick walls are better at vocalizing their feelings than Sasuke here."

"Ouch." Kiba laughed.

Hinata peeked carefully at Sasuke, noticing the rigid twist of his mouth. "I don't know about this Ino. Maybe we shouldn't get involved. Maybe Sasuke is waiting for the right time."

Despite the fact that she thought he was in love with Sakura, Sasuke decided he liked Hinata. She was reasonable and _far_ less irritating than the rest of them.

Ino waved off her comment. "Please Hinata—waiting for the right time? It's been nine years and _you_ haven't found the "right time" to tell 'you-know-you' how you feel; what makes you think Sasuke, the walking hunk of ice, will find the "right time"? We can't wait until he grows enough balls to declare his love: Sakura's only going to remain fertile for so long."

Kiba's mouth fell open, his face reddening. "Uh…."

"That is not a subject you should freely discuss, Ino." Neji reprimanded, his cheeks lightly swathed in red.

Ino scoffed. "Stop being so sensitive. Menopause is a natural thing; it happens to all females.

Frustrated and confused, Naruto turned to face Hinata; leaning in to loudly whisper his question. "What's menopause?"

She blushed at their proximity then balked at his naïveté, causing her to stumble awkwardly over her words. She nearly cried with happiness as Shikamaru came to her rescue.

"Don't worry about it Naruto." Shikamaru assured; unfazed by Ino's boldness.

"But I want to know!" Naruto pressed. Sasuke looked on thankfully as they all began speaking at once, the focus of their conversation shifted away from him.

And then, from her room upstairs, Sakura unknowingly wrenched their attention back to him.

"Hey Sasuke? Could you come zip me up please?"

Immediately they fell silent, grinning at him with this look in their eyes. Ino shooed him towards the stairs. Naruto winked at him. Kiba gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up. Even Shikamaru was smirking. What were wrong with these people? He had a strictly platonic relationship with Sakura: what was preventing them from absorbing that information? He glared at them, his eyes daggers.

"Sasuke, _please_?" Dear God, she was whining. Did her whining voice always sound so provocative? Their smiles were swelling.

"She's begging for you Sasuke." Naruto murmured. "Aren't you gonna give her what she wants?"

"Sasuuuuuuu-chan!"

He watched them attempt to choke down their laughter. A short guffaw exploded from behind Naruto's hands. "What are you waiting for _Sasu-chan_?" Kiba mocked.

Damn it, damn it, damn it to hell.

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><p>Questions? Comments? Concerns? Tell me in a review! Feedback is greatly appreciated<p> 


	2. Epiphany

Chapter 2: Epiphany

The end credits of the movie floated up the screen as Sakura blotted at her red-rimmed eyes. "Poor Riichirou…" She breathed deeply, her shoulders shaking.

Sasuke looked on, bewildered. Dear God, she was going to start crying again. He could understand the normal sniffling fits that accompanied chick flicks; he had had to comfort Sakura through many of them. But tonight she had exhibited more than the normal tears: she had been sobbing—loud, choking sobs that scared the life out of him. It was almost disturbing. Cautiously, he laid a hand on her shoulder, afraid he might disturb the floodgates.

She held the wad of tissues to her eyes and proceeded to take deep calming breaths. "I'm alright, I'm alright."

She turned and smiled at him. "This movie always does that to me." She took another deep breath and looked out the window.

"Gosh, what time is it?"

"Almost one." Sasuke replied, detangling himself from the blanket and standing up.

"Already? It's later than I thought."

"Well that 'precious' movie of yours took up about half of the night." he began picking up the half eaten snack bags and discarded tissues. "That was the longest three hours of my life."

Sakura glared. "Hey, _A Kiss Before Sunrise_ is a classic. It's worth every minute." Her gaze softened. "He was with her every single day and he didn't even—" she stifled a sob, "He didn't even realize he was in love with her!" A fresh torrent of tears spilled down her face. "Could you imagine?"

"_Nearly all of your time is spent together."_

"_And not to mention, you two are nowhere to be found on Saturday nights. Suspicious? Yes."_

"_Perhaps you hold a certain affection for Sakura that you are not consciously aware of."_

"_You haven't made a move on Sakura because you haven't realized that you're in love with her."_

Damn them. He gritted his teeth. Damn them all. "No, I couldn't."

Pulling the last tissue from the box, Sakura searched through the pile to her side, looking for one she could salvage. "I mean, how could you spend so much time with someone and have no clue how you really feel? And then when you do, you can't find it in you to tell her. Until she's dying in your arms!" he watched uncomfortably as she gave up her search and used the blanket to sop up her tears. _"I won't let what happened to Sakamoto Riichirou in A Kiss Before Sunrise happen to you. You don't know it yet, but you're in love with Sakura—"_ He shook his head. This conversation was forcing him to recall another conversation he would much rather believe never happened.

"Are you staying over?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Sakura turned towards the window before wiping her face. "Not tonight. I have a meeting with the hospital personnel first thing in the morning and none of my uniforms are here."

"I find that hard to believe. You have more clothes here than you do at your own place."

He effortlessly caught the pillow she had playfully thrown at him. "It's the truth."

"Whatever." She sighed heavily. "I better get going."

"Alright."

Sasuke moved to the door, glancing back in confusion as Sakura sat motionless. She was glaring at him, expecting something.

"I thought you said you were leaving."

"I am." She got up slowly. "All by myself, walking—alone. In the dark. Unprotected…" she looked up at him, arms crossed. He stared back.

"Gee, I wish there was someone to walk me home. A _gentleman_ that could accompany me."

He smirked knowingly. "It's too bad there's none around here." She sighed and laid a hand on his check. "I'm trying to help you here! Shape you into a guy that girls can take home to their mothers. Girls like it when you offer to walk them home."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Would you like me to walk you home Sakura?"

"That's quite alright Sasuke, darling. Maybe next time." She made a motion for him to continue.

He looked at her pointedly. "Bye then."

"Ugh. You're supposed to ask if I'm sure and then insist and if I still refuse, you're supposed to wish me goodnight. We've been over this! Why must you refuse my teachings?"

Smirking, he replied, "Being a gentleman might ruin my image as the neighborhood asshole."

Her lips pursed as she pinched his cheek. "You, Uchiha Sasuke, are way too cute to ever be considered an asshole."

He scowled. Kittens and puppies were cute. He was not. "I'm not cute."

"Are you kidding me!" She pulled and squished his face. "You're absolutely adorable. Oh yes you are! Oh yes you are!"

"Goodnight Sakura." he peeled her hands from his face before opening the door.

Her lips tugged into a smile. "Don't be so touchy." She kissed his cheek. "See ya tomorrow. Today. Whatever."

He watched her round the corner before closing the door, a smile still on his face. He couldn't remember exactly how the Saturday night visits started—it was so long ago—but he was glad they had, though he wouldn't readily admit it. Sprawled across his couch, her feet resting in his lap, her mouth set in continuous motion; it was like she emitted this invisible light, a burst of color amongst the gray. And within the walls of his house with Sakura's smiles and laughter and warmth, he found himself smiling and chuckling, joking and teasing.

He climbed into bed, yawning. Even with the occasional crying sessions and girlish complaining, he still loved when she came over.

Much to his chagrin, his cheeks automatically flushed at the word. He grimaced deeply, mentally listing all of the irritating things in the world in order to erase the flush coloring his cheeks. Sakura was his _friend. _He loved her as a_ friend. _The blush wasn't fading and his frown deepened, his brow crumpled in frustration as he began to scold himself.

Just friends. Only friends. Strictly platonic friends.

At least, that's what he'd been trying to convince himself of for the past week. Groaning, he rolled over, exasperated. His eyes glared balefully at the plaster ceiling. He never used to think this way. He had always seen Sakura as his friend—albeit a close friend, but just that and nothing more. Until those _people_—he scowled—had started insinuating and suggesting and making bets. And after that day in Sakura's living room, he couldn't even think of her name without the word 'girlfriend' burrowing into his thoughts. Under normal circumstances, he would just forget about it and his life would continue on as normal. But it was impossible to ignore the notion of dating Sakura what with Ino accosting him nearly every day with comments like "Have you uncovered your hidden feelings yet?" and "Look how cute you guys are! You're made for each other!" and "Think how _amazing_ the sex would be. Don't scowl—just imagine for a moment: you, Sakura, some chocolate sauce, handcuffs…"

He shook his head in a frantic attempt to dispel the images forming before clutching a nearby pillow to his face. Just friends. Only friends. Strictly platonic friends. Nothing more. Calmly, he removed the pillow and returned his gaze to the ceiling. Well, if he was being honest, she was a lot more than just a companion. Sakura was…she was…he scoured his mind for the right words. Sakura was—his other half. He frowned; unsatisfied with the description. Not just that; she was—happiness and light and love—

_That sounds like something a boyfriend would say._ Ino's voice rang through his head.

"Damn it!" Exasperated, he flipped over; holding his pillow to his ears. How was it that even when she wasn't there, Ino was still bothering him? No more. He wouldn't let her get to him—any of them. His "friends" didn't know anything. Sakura was his friend. He enjoyed her company and nothing more. Nodding, he allowed himself to fall asleep; confident that he would no longer be bothered with this sort of thing.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke, this is getting old. It's been a week and you are still in denial. How am I supposed to help you express your love if you won't embrace it?"<p>

"I think you harassing me is getting old as well."

Ino punched him in the arm as they walked through the village. At least, _he _was walking through the village. She was following him. Stalking almost.

'I'm not harassing you! I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need help with anything." He weaved through the crowd.

Ino flipped her hair. "Nonsense! You're a twenty-one year old single man whose best friend is not only a female: she's one of the hottest bachelorettes in the entire village and, to make matters even better, she used to have the hots for a certain Uchiha Sasuke. Now, if you're too chicken to take advantage of your situation, I'm going to do it for you."

He rolled his eyes as he made his way to Ichiraku, picking up the pace in an attempt to shake of his pursuer. She matched his speed.

"Now I know you don't have much experience with women and you might be intimidated by Sakura's sexuality. But that's quite alright. We'll take things slow and—"

"I'm not in love with Sakura."

"Okay, maybe you're not _in_ love with her yet but you have feelings for her."

"I don't."

"I say you do."

"And who are you to say—"

"I'm a woman, Sasuke! We just know these things. Female intuition." She tapped her head for emphasis.

Rolling his eyes, he stopped walking and turned to face the woman who insisted on irritating him to death. "Listen Ino. I realize that you think I love Sakura and in some convoluted, skewed manner, you've convinced yourself that I need assistance in expressing this imaginary feeling. But I'm telling you for the last time: Sakura is just a friend and will remain as such. And I don't need any help from you _whatsoever_."

Silently, she considered his statement while she scrutinized his face. Sasuke excitedly watched her. Maybe, just maybe, she was going to agree. "I give you three more days. Then you'll be on my doorstep begging for help."

Ino was never one to favor rationale.

He continued walking, reluctantly listening to her prattling. "So for your confession, I was thinking around sunset near the lake. It'll be perfect with the all the golds and oranges bouncing of the water. So we'll have to get a boat—"

"Stop talking Ino."

She glared in response. "The first rule of wooing: Don't be an asshole. Even though some girls are attracted to that sort of behavior, it becomes intolerable after a while."

"Sort of like you?" He probably should've seen the slap coming. But his mind didn't function properly when he was irritated. He rubbed the back of his head as he scowled at her. She mirrored his frown.

"I just said _don't_ be an asshole."

"Maybe if you weren't so—"

"The first essential characteristic of a healthy relationship: listening. So shut it Uchiha or so help me I will rip you limb from limb."

He situated himself at the counter of the Ichiraku shop. It was 12:00 on the dot and of course, there was no Sakura to be found despite the fact that they met for lunch nearly every day. Perhaps he would start telling her to arrive 20 minutes before the actual scheduled time. Then maybe she'd actually be on time. Ino jumped onto the stool next to him, intending to continue their conversation.

"Can I get something for you?" he looked up at the brown haired woman—Ayama?Ayami? Whatever her name was—wielding a notepad.

"In a moment. I'm waiting for someone."

She chuckled, tucking the pad into her apron pocket. "As usual. That girlfriend of yours always seems to keep you waiting."

Girlfriend? He balked in surprise before quickly regaining his wits. "Sakura is just my friend. We aren't…we aren't…." He explained, bewildered.

Ayamo's cheeks flushed and a nervous apology flew through her lips. "It's just, I always see you with each other and I just assumed…I mean—you two look so happy together!"

Was he supposed to look upset when he was with friends? He spent time with Naruto too: did that mean they were a couple? He shuddered once and directed his gaze to the counter, mumbling his acceptance of the apology and willing her away. She seemed to be a mind reader; she was gone in seconds.

But Ino wasn't. Ino was very present. And relishing every moment of the scene. He could feel the smugness emanating off of her; almost hear the cogs in her mind whirring incessantly as she came up with a dozen reasons why this event proved that he was in love with Sakura.

"Don't. Say. Anything." He growled through his teeth.

"Come on Sasuke! Everyone else can see how wonderful you two are together: how come you can't?"

"She made a wrong assumption."

"No, she made a_ logical _assumption, based on the evidence."

"What evidence?"

"I dunno, maybe the fact that you grin like an idiot when you're with Sakura which is always since you guys are pretty much inseparable. And not to mention how touchy-feely you two are. I mean, some couples don't indulge in PDA as much as you two."

"What the hell is—"

"Public Displays of Affection. Admit it, you guys look like a couple."

"We don't."

But that night, after he carried a sleeping Sakura to the guest room and he lay awake in bed, he began seeing his memories through the eyes of an outsider. She did touch him a lot. But why did it matter if she touched him or not? That constituted nothing. Just because he liked the way she absently ran her fingers through his hair—no, he didn't like it. He simply allowed her to. And he allowed her to put her feet on him and rub his shoulders and stroke his hand and sleep next to him when she stayed overnight…Well, he could see why someone who didn't know the true nature of their relationship would assume that he was dating Sakura. But he didn't see her that way.

He saw her as a person who he liked to spend time with because she was likable. Everything about her was likable. Her bright laugh, her infectious smile, the softness of her hands, the light smell of her skin, the soft curves of her lips. He shook his head as much as the pillow allowed. He didn't see her that way.

He remembered every movie night; Sakura lying on top of him, his arm slung lazily over her waist.

He_ didn't_ see her that way.

He remembered the warmth of her hand under the New Year festival fireworks, her eyes separate bursts of light on their own. He remembered the pleasant stirring in his chest when her lips lightly touched his at midnight.

He did _not_ see her _that_ way.

He remembered lounging on the roof under the summer night sky, listening to her laughter bounce off the stars. He remembered gently holding her as she slept, wishing the night would last longer.

He. Did. NOT. See. Her. That. Way.

He remembered how tightly he had hugged her in wordless joy after his month-long mission, his heart surging with happiness.

Hours later, the sun rose, bringing a close to his sleepless night. He rolled over, facing the window.

Shit. He did see her that way.

He groaned. Ino was right—everyone was right. Sakura wasn't just a friend, she was _everything_. He'd always thought it was just happiness that squeezed his heart when he saw her; unaware that it was something more. A thousand different memories of her smiling face flitted through his head. His heart swelled.

Jumping out of bed he paced, reveling in this newfound feeling. How couldn't he have seen it? Felt it? His heart pounded against his chest in a quick tattoo. He pondered the emotion and decided that he rather enjoyed it. He smirked to himself before frowning. He could only imagine the amount of gloating he'd have to endure. From _all_ of them. An irritated grunt escaped his lips as he fell back onto the bed. How annoying.

The clinking of pots echoed from the kitchen. It was her. The feeling wrenched at his heart. How could he have mistaken this for happiness? He bounded down the stairs and eagerly rounded the corner into the kitchen.

She was at the stove, fixing a pot of tea. She turned to look at him. And at that moment, it hit him:

He was romantically impaired.

What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? The feeling was still there, filling his chest. But his mind was at a loss of how to express it. And even if he did tell her, how would she react? Did she feel the same way? Did she want to act on it? And what of their friendship? What would happen to it now? He couldn't possibly act as if nothing had changed. He swallowed, suddenly made thoughtful.

Sakura appraised his pained face. "Gosh, don't look so happy to see me." She poured a cup of tea and placed it into his hand.

He worked to move his frozen body, contorting his face to hide the horror that had frozen it. "Uh…"

She gave him a once over and smirked. "Oh look, we match!" Her fingers snapped the waistband of his gray boxer briefs. His eyes traveled over her body noticing that her gray satin nightgown was much too short and much too tight and cut much too low. He turned and walked towards the table, trying to make it seem as natural as possible. But she was too keen.

"Sasuke, are you blushing?"

"…"

"You are!" She walked into his direct line of sight. He turned his gaze to his tea. It was suddenly very interesting.

"Are you having pervy fantasies about me?"

"What!"

"You don't have to lie." Her tone was teasing, her smile sly. "I see the way you're undressing me with your eyes."

Normally, he'd come up with a witty comment and they'd laugh and that would be the end of it. But now it was different. Because part of him wasn't opposed to undressing her mentally. The other part of him, still realized that she was his friend. He swallowed, begging his cheeks to pale. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about the little tent growing in your boxer briefs."

Horror, sheer horror. Mortified, he looked downwards and saw nothing. Sakura broke out into peals of laughter.

"Joking! Gosh, you should've seen your face. You're too cute." She laughed again before going to the fridge, leaving him tongue-tied and bright red at the table.

He needed help. Desperately. And so it was with great shame and disappointment that he found himself on Ino's doorstep, two days earlier than she had projected. The displeasure on his face seemed to be enough to suffice her need for gloating for all he had to endure was a smug smile and a "Well what do we have here?" A moment later she was down to business.

"Well now that you've come to your senses, let's get started."


	3. The Agenda Is Set

Hello again! Sorry for the wait. I know this chapter is much shorter than the first two. That's because I decided to split the chapter so that I could give you guys something to read while I work on the rest and my other story. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 3: The Agenda is Set<p>

"Hello friends and welcome to the first meeting of—dear God Naruto, we just started. What question could you possibly have?"

Naruto lowered his hand. "I was told there would be food and I don't see any." Ino took a breath to slow her heart rate and smooth the glare from her features. When dealing with imbeciles, patience was the key. "Light refreshments are reserved for the end of the meeting. So if you could just wait until—"

"You've gotta be kidding me! I missed second lunch for this stupid meeting and now you're telling me I can't eat yet?"

Neji watched apathetically as the pouting Naruto slowly slumped further and further into his chair. At this point, he wasn't sure whether he should still waste energy judging the obnoxious ninja or if he should simply accept his ridiculous behavior. At any rate, at least the occasion called for some display of discontent, even if it was dramatic. "I too was brought here under false pretenses. I was under the impression that there was an emergency of some sort. This is interrupting my daily activities."

Kiba, whose irritated scowl could match Naruto's pout, scoffed. "You're telling me. I was giving Akamaru here a bath—" he paused to ruffle the dirt streaked fur of his companion "—when Ino dragged me here because 'Hinata was trapped under a tree and needed my help'. And I fell for it!" He shook his head disapprovingly.

Hinata started slightly. She knew gathering all ten people at once would be a challenge, but she never imagined that Ino would have to resort to bending the truth. "You told him I was trapped under a tree?"

Ino shuffled her papers, unaffected. "If anything, you should be more surprised that he believed me." She flipped her hair. "Now, let's begin. Three days ago, Sasuke pulled his head out of his ass and realized that he loves Sakura. Now he needs our help. We'll use the next hour or so discussing our roles and finalizing our task lists."

Checking the watch on the wrist that was not hidden in his bag of chips, Chouji announced his forthcoming departure. "Yeah, I can really only stay for ten minutes, tops. This guy who works at my favorite lunch spot goes on break in 15 minutes and he's the only one who makes the dumplings just how I like them—tender and succulent but not soggy." Naruto whimpered, clutching his stomach.

"I think you'll survive if you don't get your dumplings for _one _day Chouji." TenTen groaned, both impatient and slightly annoyed.

Naruto's whine persisted. "Of course he'll survive but what about me? My stomach is practically eating itself."

The ceiling interested Shikamaru more than the chaos brewing before him. He studied the bumps and grooves, taking note of weak spots in the plaster. With some concentration, the volume of the others slowly dwindled to a quiet murmur. It was a mental trick he had learned long ago and with Ino as a teammate, it became a necessary skill. His near satisfaction was broken by the loud shudder of the door flinging open. Groaning at the sight of green, he murmured, "What a pain. Now—"

"Rock Lee, the beautiful green beast of Konoha, has arrived!" Springing forward in a whirlwind, he launched himself onto the coffee table, landing on his knee with his fist poised before him. "I am prepared for the task at hand."

"Finally, someone with a good attitude coming in! Now, let's officially begin—with no more interruptions." Her eyes cut quickly to Naruto's face. "Welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Committee for the Betterment of Uchiha Sasuke's Love Life, also known as Project SasuSaku. If you look at your handout, you'll find our motto and coat of arms—"

"Could we get to the point sometime this century?" Kiba grumbled.

Ino scowled, then relented. "Our task will be broken up into three phases. Phase One: Training. In this stage, we will give Sasuke the skills he needs to be a deserving candidate for Sakura's affections. When this is completed, we'll enter Phase Two: Muddle the Line. Here we will focus on blurring the line between platonic friendship and romantic interest. Sakura will begin considering the possibility of Sasuke as a potential suitor. And finally, we have Phase Three: Seal the Deal in which we will help Sasuke with his love confession. It will be a flawless moment, like something out of a fairytale." Ino slowly lowered the packet of papers in her hands, eyes cast forward, fixated on her vision. "Just as the sun falls behind the horizon, Sasuke will reveal the feelings he has been harboring for so long. Sakura, slightly shocked but overwhelmingly happy, will tenderly reciprocate his love with tears in her eyes. And just as he pulls her in for the big kiss, pink, blue, and white fireworks spelling out 'Sasuke and Sakura Forever' will erupt in the sky overhead." She sighed in contentment. "It will be absolutely perfect."

From his spot atop the table, Lee trembled, his face hidden against the arm on his knee. "Ino-chan...that...was...THE MOST AMAZING PLAN EVER CONCOCTED." he burst upwards, standing with his hands clasped, tears flowing down his face. "Never before have I been so inspired to help my fellow comrade achieve his goals! I will do everything in my power to aid Sasuke until he can finally bathe in the beautiful glory of springtime romance!" his teeth sparkled. Neji frowned before sharing his response.

"This plan seems illogical. It depends entirely on the idea that Sakura is willing to allow their friendship to evolve into a romantic relation."

"Don't be ridiculous. The plan is foolproof. Sakura will want to change their relationship even if she thinks she doesn't want to because on the inside, that's what she really wants."

"That statement seems even more illogical." Shino quipped quietly from his place against the wall.

With a wave, Ino ignored Shino's quiet commentary and turned to her teammate who was blankly gazing at the ceiling. "Shikamaru, what do you think?" He didn't even direct his gaze towards her when he answered. "Nothing at all."

In a fit of despair, Naruto jumped up, flinging his chair backwards. "You know what I think? I think I'm going to die from hunger on this floor. I need food!"

Ino followed suit and thrusted her hands towards the constant interruption's neck. "Naruto, if you do not shut up, I will personally murder you!"

"What are you all doing in my house?!"

Silence reigned among the group for a moment, halting their words and freezing their gazes at the interruption: a confused and angry Sasuke, incredulously staring at his gathered "friends". He watched Ino blink twice, still gripping the collar of the bane of her existence. Said bane, Naruto, was casual in his attempt to break the silence.

"Oh hey Teme."

Sasuke blinked. _Oh hey Teme_. All ten of them, in his house. Lee on the table, Naruto swinging from Ino's grip, Chouji sprinkling BBQ flavored crumbs all over his floor. Kiba and his dog leaving hair and dirt prints everywhere. _Oh hey Teme_. Just a normal day.

Kiba turned towards him and grinned. "There he is! Mr. Loverboy. How's it feel to escape from denial?"

"Sasuke-kun!" Lee cried. "I am very happy to hear of your recent revelation. I know that every day, your heart grows more pregnant with youthful emotion and passion for the lovely blossom Sakura-chan and—"

"Dear Lord Lee." TenTen mumbled, holding her forehead.

Promptly dropping Naruto, Ino made her way towards the door, towing Sasuke behind her. "Nope. You cannot be here."

"This is my house!" She rolled her eyes. "Yes, we've established that already Sasuke. But we knew this place would be safe from any unexpected Sakura drop-ins because she'd only come by here if she wasn't already with you which, let's be honest, hardly ever happens. Plus, Naruto had the spare key." He swung it around his finger cheekily.

Words thrashed violently behind his shut lips. He was sure a blood vessel was close to popping. "And you couldn't inform me beforehand?"

"Obviously not. Look at your reaction. Plus, we don't need you at committee meetings. So, shoo! Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting Sakura here before we—"

"What?! Why didn't you say something earlier?" Ino turned to the group. "We've gotta disperse guys: Sakura's on her way." she began gathering her papers.

"Finally!" Naruto shouted, heading towards the kitchen.

Behind his glasses and high collar, Shino's face folded slightly in confusion. "What exactly did this meeting accomplish?" Kiba snorted. "You mean besides waste our time?"

Ino's glare cut towards him. "Well if some people weren't complaining for 15 minutes, maybe I could've explained more. But it doesn't matter now. Refer to your information sheet if you have any more questions. Just leave before she comes and sees us all together."

From his spot before the doorway, Sasuke watched as Hinata and TenTen attempted to reset the furniture amongst the moving jumble of people. Ino scolded Shikamaru before collectively screaming at everyone. Naruto, having found the refreshments, brought the trays of dango into the living room where Chouji and Kiba snatched as many skewers as they could fist, to Naruto's dismay. There was yelling and arguing and barking and peacemaking and exclamations and he didn't have enough patience for this. He stepped outside, leaning against one of the posts of his porch. He heard a shout followed by a thud and could only hope it was Naruto slipping on a dango ball and not one of his belongings falling to the ground. Closing his eyes, he tried to breathe. He needed the help, he needed the help, he needed—

"Somebody better clean this up before I lose my shit!"

"That was Kiba, not me!"

Breathe. He needed the help. He needed the help.

"Sasuke?" opening his eyes, he saw Sakura peering curiously at him at the end of his walkway. She peeked towards the window. "What's going on—hey!"

"Don't worry about it." There would be no explaining, he decided as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from his house. Only ignoring. It would be the only thing to keep him sane.

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><p>I'll do better length-wise with the next chapter, I promise. Tell me what you thought!<p> 


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